Una Stubbs (1 May 1937 – 12 August 2021) was an English actress, television personality, and dancer who appeared on British television, in the theatre, and occasionally in films. She became known after appearing in the film Summer Holiday (1963) and later played Rita Rawlins in the BBC sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part (1965–1975) and In Sickness and in Health (1985–1992). Her other television roles include Aunt Sally in Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981) and Miss Bat in The Worst Witch (1998–2001). She also appeared as Sherlock Holmes's landlady Mrs. Hudson in the BAFTA-winning television series Sherlock (2010–2017) where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Crime Thriller Awards.

Early life Stubbs was born in 1937 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, the daughter of Angela K. Rawlinson and Clarence Reginald Stubbs. Stubbs was a great-granddaughter of Sir Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the garden city movement, who was the driving force in the creation of Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, both in Hertfordshire.

She grew up in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and was sent to La Roche dancing school in Slough by her mother. As a 16-year-old, in 1953, she danced in a Folies Bergère-style musical revue, "Pardon My French", at the Prince of Wales Theatre, alongside Frankie Howerd and the pianist Winifred Atwell. She first appeared on television as one of the Dougie Squires Dancers on the British television music show Cool for Cats (ITV) in 1956. She also appeared as a dancer at the London Palladium and worked in cabaret, clubs and revues in London, and was in Lionel Blair's dance ensemble.

During 1958–59, Stubbs was the "cover girl" of Dairy Box chocolates, produced by Rowntree. She referred to herself as the "Rowntree's Chocolate Girl", when describing a visit she made to the Rowntree's factory in York (where unknown to her, her grandfather had worked).Who Do You Think You Are?, "Una Stubbs", Director Mary Cranitch, Producer Colette Flight, BBC, 2013, approx 26 minutes

Acting career In 1963, Stubbs joined the cast of a new charades-based gameshow, Don't Say a Word (ITV), a forerunner of Give Us a Clue. Her first screen role was in the Cliff Richard film Summer Holiday (1963). She also appeared in Richard's next film, Wonderful Life (1964). Soon afterward, she made her breakthrough in television comedy, playing Rita, the married daughter of Alf Garnett in the BBC sitcom Till Death Us Do Part (1966–1975). In 1968, as a direct spin-off from the sitcom, she appeared alongside Warren Mitchell in a series of television adverts for Findus frozen products.

She also appeared in the short-lived sitcom Till Death... (1981), again playing Rita. She played Rita a third time in a few episodes of the BBC sitcom In Sickness and in Health (1985–1992). During 1970–71, Stubbs teamed again with Cliff Richard to appear each week on his BBC1 TV series, It's Cliff Richard! When she did not take part in the next series, as it was broadcast shortly after she had had a baby, her TV "mother", Dandy Nichols from Till Death Us Do Part, took her place.

Stubbs featured in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Anniversary" in 1979. From 1979 to 1981, she played Aunt Sally in the ITV children's series Worzel Gummidge opposite Jon Pertwee and Barbara Windsor, and was for several years a team captain in the weekly game show Give Us a Clue in the 1980s, reuniting her with Lionel Blair, the other team captain.

She appeared in the shows Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat, Casualty, Keeping Up Appearances, Born and Bred and The Worst Witch. In recent years, Stubbs also appeared in Victoria Wood's We'd Quite Like to Apologise, The Catherine Tate Show, Agatha Christie's Marple, EastEnders, Benidorm and, from 2010, Sherlock as Mrs. Hudson where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Crime Thriller Awards. She appeared in an episode of Call the Midwife in 2015.

Stubbs was on the West End stage in Noël Coward's Star Quality with Penelope Keith in 2001 and Friedrich Schiller's Don Carlos with Derek Jacobi in 2005. Her other theatre credits included La Cage Aux Folles at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Pygmalion at the Theatre Royal, Bath and Old Vic and The Family Reunion at the Donmar Warehouse. She was in the original cast of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the National Theatre in 2012.

In 2015 she co-presented The Big Painting Challenge on BBC One alongside Richard Bacon.

Personal life Stubbs was married to the actor Peter Gilmore from 1958 to 1969: they adopted a son, Jason. After their divorce in 1969, she married another actor, Nicky Henson. They divorced in 1975, after having two sons, but remained good friends. Their sons are the composer Christian Henson (born 25 December 1971), and the musician-composer Joe Henson (born 18 September 1973).Stubbs to join ex-husband in soap BBC News 23 May 2006

For many years, Stubbs sketched vignettes of characters around London and held exhibitions of these near her London home. On several occasions, paintings by Stubbs, submitted anonymously, were exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, most recently in 2020.

Stubbs had known her Sherlock co-star Benedict Cumberbatch since he was four years old, as she had worked with his mother, Wanda Ventham.

Stubbs was the subject of an episode of the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?, broadcast on 24 July 2013. It discussed several of her ancestors.

After several months of ill health, Stubbs died at her home in Edinburgh on 12 August 2021, at the age of 84.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes Ref1963Summer Holiday Sandy West 11 Girl on Her Knees at Party Uncredited 1964 The Bargee Bridesmaid Uncredited Wonderful Life Barbara Tate 1965 Three Hats for Lisa Flora 1967 Mister Ten Per Cent Lady Dorothea 1969 Till Death Us Do Part Rita Garnett Rawlins 1973 Penny Gold Anna 1974 Bedtime with Rosie Rosie 1978 The Water Babies Voice 2007 Angel Miss Dawson 2016 National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses Madame de Rosemond Golden Years Shirley

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref1960The Strange World of Gurney Slade Vacuum Cleaner Girl / Girl in Park 2 episodes 1966–1975Till Death Us Do Part Rita Garnett Rawlins 52 episodes 1971The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Katie Harris Episode: "The Woman in the Big Hat" 1970–1972It's Cliff Richard! Herself 33 episodes 1978Whodunnit?Herself – panellistTV game show1979Fawlty Towers Alice Episode: "The Anniversary" 1979–1981Worzel Gummidge Aunt Sally 21 episodes 1979–1986Give Us a Clue Herself Multiple episodes 1981Till Death... Rita Garnett Rawlins 6 episodes 1985–1986In Sickness and in Health Rita Garnett Rawlins 9 episodes 1987–1989Worzel Gummidge Down Under Aunt Sally 22 episodes 1989Victoria Wood Una Episode: "We'd Quite Like to Apologise" 1989Tricky Business Mrs. Breeze 9 episodes 1995Keeping Up Appearances Mrs. Moody Episode: "The Pageant" 1995, 1997Heartbeat Anthea Cowley 2 episodes 1996Delta Wave Gilly Pigeon 4 episodes 1998Midsomer Murders Selina Jennings Episode: "Written in Blood" 2000Casualty Joan Banville Episode: "Not Waving but Drowning" 1998–2000The Worst Witch Miss Davina Bat 25 episodes 2003Born and Bred Joy Episode: "A Very Ormston Christmas" 2004Von Trapped Kath Moogan TV movie 2005–2007The Catherine Tate Show Carole-Ann & Ursula 4 episodes 2006EastEnders Caroline Bishop 6 episodes 2006Agatha Christie's Marple Edith Pagett Episode: "Sleeping Murder" 2007–2009Mist: Sheepdog Tales Fern 23 episodes 2009Benidorm Diana Armstrong Season 3 Episode 5 2009Ingenious Gransha TV movie 2010–2017Sherlock Mrs. Hudson 13 episodes 2011The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff Aunt Good Spelling Episode: "Christmas Special" 2012National Theatre Live Mrs. Alexander Episode: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" 2013Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Series 10, Episode 1 2013Starlings Molly 4 episodes 2013Coming Up Cynthia Episode: "Sink Or Swim" 2013The Tractate Middoth Miss Chambers 2015Midsomer Murders Audrey Braylesford Episode 17.1 "The Dagger Club" 2015The Big Painting Challenge Co-Presenter Series 1 2015Call The Midwife Gert Mills Episode #4.7 2017The Durrells Mrs. Haddock Series 2, Episode 4 2017Murder on the Blackpool Express Peggy TV movie, final film role

Audio dramas Year Title Role Ref2007Doctor Who: Horror of Glam Rock Flo

Theatre Year Title Playwright Director Role Venue Ref1990She Stoops to Conquer Oliver Goldsmith James Maxwell Mrs Hardcastle Royal Exchange, Manchester 1992An Ideal Husband Oscar Wilde James Maxwell Lady Markby Royal Exchange, Manchester 1996The Philadelphia Story Philip Barry Josephine Abady Margaret Lord Royal Exchange, Manchester 1997The Deep Blue Sea Terence Rattigan Michael Grandage Hester Collyer Mercury Theatre, Colchester 2001Star Quality Noël Coward Christopher Luscombe Marion Blakely Apollo Theatre, London 2005Don Carlos Friedrich von Schiller Michael Grandage Duchess of Olivarez Gielgud Theatre, London

References

External links